Virat Kohli 'not in the same class' as Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara: Daryl Cullinan

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been at the helm of run-scoring gala since the early years of his induction into international cricket itself. While some of his batting statistics put him on par with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and other legends of the game, several cricketing purists believe that Kohli can “never” reach the near-perfect batting techniques of his predecessors.

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Daryll Cullinan compares Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara

Former South African batsman Daryll Cullinan, who played a key role in South Africa’s resurgence in international cricket during the 1990s, recently interacted with the Khaleej Times. During the interview, he called himself a huge Virat Kohli fan, but claimed that the Indian captain can “never” reach the batting levels of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. According to the former cricketer, the playing conditions have never been friendlier for batsmen as it has been in the past 10 years.

Daryll Cullinan added that one cannot consider Virat Kohli in the “same class” as Tendulkar or Lara, even though the modern-day batting icon is an “amazingly good cricketer”. Cullinan said that he would have loved to see both Tendulkar and Lara bat in the modern era, because of the presence of “good batting conditions” today. Apart from batting friendly surfaces, the 70-Test veteran also said that Kohli and other batsmen of his generation have not faced the “kind of reverse swing” which their predecessor batting icons used to encounter.  

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Virat Kohli centuries in international cricket

The Virat Kohli centuries stats section in international cricket makes for a staggering read. Overall, he has piled up 70 tons across all formats, with 27 of them coming in his 86 Test matches. As of now, Kohli is third on the all-time list of leading century-makers behind Sachin Tendulkar (100) and Ricky Ponting (71).

India vs Australia live streaming details

As of Day 1 evening session of the India vs Australia pink ball Test match, Virat Kohli continues to trade punches with the Australian bowlers at Adelaide. At the time of publishing, Team India reached 107-3 after 55 overs, with skipper Kohli batting at 39*. He was joined by his deputy Ajinkya Rahane at the crease.

For the India vs Australia 1st Test live telecast in India, fans can tune into Sony Pictures Sports Network (SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 3 and SONY SIX). Meanwhile, for India vs Australia live scores, one can visit the official website and social media pages of the BCCI and Cricket Australia. The live streaming of the match is also available for fans on the SonyLIV app.

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Image source: BCCI Twitter